System of the Locked
by TAngel96
Summary: Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. This was only the start of Abaddon's conquest of terror. The Winchesters and others will do anything to take her down, even if it means taking on one of the longest living curses in the world. This only unleashes something worse in the end...The Darkness. "The King? By now, he's long gone. Hell is under a new rule. Long live the Queen."
1. Author's Note

Extended Summary:

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

This was only the start of Abaddon's conquest of terror, and the Winchesters only added to the destruction in an effort to stop her. Dean, fresh out of purgatory, will do everything in his power to take her down, even if it means taking on one of the longest living curses in the world. Two women get stuck in the drama and are determined to help finish the job. With chaos, betrayal, arguments, and love in the bloom, will it tear them all apart before the end?

"The King? By now, he's long gone. Hell is under a new rule now. Bow down to your Queen."

"You think I came back perfectly in tact from Purgatory? I was screwed up in the head! Becoming a demon...well. I've never felt so alive, Sammy."

Dean Winchester dives off the deep end and lets the mark of Cain take over. He finally became the thing he fought against the most. Chaos and murders burn in his path, leaving nothing but a trail for Sam and the girls to follow. Before they know it, things take a horrible spin out of control. They have to take extreme risks to fight and come face-to-face with their greatest foe.

The Darkness.

I'm going to try to post every other Friday!


	2. Chapter 1-Season 8

Cold, damp soil settled against the woman's skin, creating goose bumps along her arms. She regained consciousness slowly and groaned from the massive pain in the back of her skull. She couldn't move her limbs and it seemed like all the warmth she had disappeared completely. Her lungs craved air, but instead inhaled the heavy soil piled on top of her. Panic set in and she used her hands to claw her way to the surface. _I'm…buried alive?_ The thought drifted across her mind and dissipated quickly.

She gasped for fresh air as she emerged from the earth and coughed loudly. The taste of melting bitterness swirled around her mouth, making her grimace and spit the dirt out next to her. The woman struggled to stand up, her limbs shaking terribly from the cold. She winced from the pain erupting from her rib cage and surging up her side. She ran her fingers over her wet, long sleeved gray shirt. A sigh left her lungs when her hands rubbed against the sleeveless leather jacket that weighed her down. Taking it off would be a waste of energy, so she left it on. The blue jeans she had on rubbed against her skin, causing it to get irritated. Her hands skimmed over the wound on her head, and found dry blood and soil in her soaked black hair. Her light brown eyes glanced around her surroundings, trying to figure out where she was.

Her breath became a thin fog as she exhaled. The cold night was regular for early November weather, but the feel of it against her moist skin left goose bumps climbing her arms. The moon shone down on the forest, sprinkling through the leaves like little search lights. Stars dimmed against the black sky, small clouds floating over their images without a care in the world. Grasshoppers chirped softly to their own tunes while the rest of the wildlife slept soundly in their makeshift beds. The woman inhaled sharply and smelled fresh dew on the green grass. The raw aroma of trees and animals mixed together, creating an almost serene and real nature smell. Her senses threw her off and the littlest things irritated her. She couldn't focus on anything in particular.

Her breathing slowed and became shallow, putting her into a state of worry. _S-so…cold…_ She stumbled forward and latched onto a tree before she could fall. _Body s-slowly shutting d-down from hypothermia…_ She thought and pushed forward. She was going to die soon if she didn't get help.

The woman's eyebrows furrowed and her mind searched for any memory of how she got there. She couldn't find any recollection of the past twenty-four hours, causing anger to course through her veins. Feeling angry, confused, and lost, she grimaced and let the emotions take over. She couldn't let the cold cloud her mind and make her weak.

Grunting and agitated cries arose to her left, so she immediately headed towards the source of it. Her legs wobbled and she almost toppled over, but she managed to hold herself up. She could feel certain functions slowly shut down, and her brain sent out adrenaline throughout her system. Her brown eyes focused on what was happening in front of her, making her take a step back to analyze the situation overall.

Two men struggled to gain control of the fight, slamming each other into different tree trunks they came close to. The short one, frail and thin, had the advantage for a few seconds. He kicked the taller one in the stomach and grabbed a hold of the knife in his opponent's hand. The tall one backed up and waited for his enemy to strike. He brushed his shoulder length brown hair out of his eyes and spit blood out of his mouth. The short one attacked, slicing the knife close to the tall one's chest and arms. He dodged every move, countering with his own kicks and punches.

The woman hid behind a tree and leaned against it, trying to steady her staggered breathing. She wanted to help fight alongside the good guy, but she didn't know exactly which person that was. She had learned the hard way that some creatures could inhabit humans or take their image. _I'm never t-trusting another ice cream m-man again…_ The memory of that incident fled faster than it had arrived and a new thought took over. _What if one of them b-buried me alive? They'll k-kill me if they see me._

She knew she was in no condition to fight, so she turned around and attempted to march on. Her limbs shook erratically and the pain in her ribs amplified with every movement. A cough pushed its way out of her throat, causing her to stumble and fall to the ground. She tried to get her bearings straight and keep going, but her limbs numbed and felt heavy like lead. Her breaths left her panicked and slight cries of misery escaped passed her lips. Her back slammed against the floor like dead weight, allowing her to gaze up at the sky one last time.

The sounds died down and the forest became quiet, except for the woman's small gasps. She just wanted to die quickly, not slow and patiently waiting for her organ systems to finally shut down. She hated the fact she was going out in a weak way and not in a blaze of glory. This situation wasn't worthy. Of all the things she's done, the good and the bad, the thought of having an ending like this only made it more agonizing.

Heavy footsteps became audible, and soon a figure emerged from the dark shadows of the trees. It loomed over the woman, its chest rising and falling quickly, but steadied itself. It dropped the blood-stained blade it had in its hand and fell to its knees beside her. It took off its jacket, placing the clothing item over her wet clothes carefully. A male voice pervaded the air, "Are you hurt?"

She shook her head as much as she could until she realized it probably was too dark to see. "R-ribs…and h-head…" she mumbled, the cold air stabbing the inside of her throat as she inhaled.

The man's fingers wrapped around her arm to get a grip to pick her up, but he hesitated. "You're freezing…You're going to get hypothermia out here."

"Al-already do…" she cringed. From the way the pain jolted up her side, she could only imagine a few of her ribs were broken. _Can I trust this guy…?_

He gently picked her up and carried her bridal style through the forest. His long strides made it seem like he as in a calm jog, and his grip on her ribs caused her to scream. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry. We're almost there…"

 _He's h-helping me stay alive…Might as w-well trust him for t-the night._ The woman thought and shook in his grasp. When they came into the light, she noticed it was the tall man from the fight. Blood stained his red flannel shirt and splotched on his scruffy face, but streak marks indicated he tried to wipe it away. His hazel eyes searched the trees to make sure no one followed them.

A sleek black car sat on the edge of the dirt road. The man fumbled with the keys, giving Kristen enough time to analyze what kind of hunter he was. A pillow and a blanket rested in the back and items of clothing were neatly piled on the tan leathered passenger seat. Hygiene necessities were in a bag to the side, but other than that, the car was clean.

 _Neat person…saves people…He seems okay so far._ She contemplated.

The hunter managed to open the car door and slid inside with the woman on his lap. He reached backwards and snatched the blanket. "You have to get out of your wet clothes."

"Whoa, h-hey…take me to d-dinner first," she joked while her hands fumbled with her shirt. The sharp stabbing feeling amplified, but she grit her teeth and pushed through it.

The hunter chuckled lightly and nodded. "I see you still have your sense of humor in the worst of times." The man removed his red plaid shirt and set it aside. A dark anti-possession tattoo sat on the left side of his chest, and one of his arms hovered around the woman just in case she fainted from heat loss. He picked out a pair of pajama pants from the pile and gestured to the woman's soaked ones. "Mind if I help? You need to get out of them quickly to restore heat." She shook her head and finally put effort into getting the shirt over her head. The man spoke up again, "Put my shirt on."

"No, y-you need it."

He gave her an Are-You-Serious look and paused for a second. "Saving people is what I do, so please, put it on."

She complied with what he said. Warmth enveloped her, sending chills down her spine. She helped him remove her pants and put on the new ones. If this were any other situation, it would feel far less embarrassing. She hated being in a situation that was out of her control.

He turned a knob and pushed a button on the car. The heater clanked and started up. A loud noise rang through the air, making the woman jump in her spot. "It's okay, it's okay. There's a lego that's stuck in the heating vent. It's been there since we… _I_ was a kid." The man carefully pulled her to him and wrapped both of them in the blanket.

After getting situated, the woman rested her head on the man's shoulder and forced her eyes to remain open. Warmth only fueled her exhaustion and sleep sounded more appealing by the second. The dead weight from her numb limbs downed her spirits even more. The man rubbed his thumb over her arm and felt the material of his red flannel shirt. He sat there in thought for a moment until he noticed she was falling asleep. Going unconscious while having a possible concussion could lead to dangerous things. He quickly spoke up, "Are you warming up yet?"

"Y-yeah…thanks."

"What are you doing out here? Catching a midnight stroll?" The sarcasm in his voice lightened the mood a bit, but not much.

Her eyebrows knit together in confusion and she stuttered, "I don't r-remember…"

"What's the last thing you remember?" He interrogated, slight curiosity leading in his voice. His head didn't touch hers to make sure he wouldn't make her head injury worse. His eyes stayed forward and looked out into the woods and the dirt road. Fog hung in the air, bending the moon's rays in weird ways.

The memory was burned in the back of her skull. The love, the care, the joyful emotion she got when she saw them… "I…I came home to see my family."

He quickly moved onto the next question, almost like an interrogation. "Why were you soaked?"

 _Is this guy a hunter, a cop, or both?_ The thought pushed its way into her mind and she chose to ignore it. He did find her out in the woods needing help, but she knew she needed more answers than him. "I was buried alive. The soil was damp above me, but not below me, so I must have been there for a while."

"Can-"

The woman cried out in frustration, "Can you ask q-questions later? P-please."

The man nodded, yet added onto his point immediately after, "You said you have a head injury. I'm just trying to keep you awake."

"Yeah, well, if you keep questioning me, I won't be the only one here with a head injury," she threatened in almost a playful way. The frustration still stuck around and irritated her, but this man saved her life. She had to push the frustration away for now. Covering it up with jokes and playfulness might make both of them feel better about the situation.

He chuckled, "I don't think I'm too worried."

She rolled her eyes and tried not to move. Moving only caused more suffering. Words seemed to slip out of her mouth before she could comprehend it, "What's your name?"

The man took a moment and the muscle in his jaw flexed. His stare stopped focusing on the outside and looked down at the time on the clock: 1:56 in the morning. "Sam. Sam Winchester."

 _Fuck…A Winchester? I'm not trying to get on their bad side too._ The thoughts swam across her mind, leaving a sickening feeling in her system. _I am so screwed. These boys cause more chaos than good, or so I've heard. I just have to pretend I don't know who he is. Feign innocence._ "Nice to meet you, Sam," she spoke in almost a whisper.

"What's your name?" Sam asked and tried to glance over at her.

 _Oh God, what do I do? Think straight here, Kristen Halloway. He's a Winchester. Giving him my real name would be like signing my own death certificate. If I cross him in any way, he'll hunt me down next. I'm going to give him a fake name._ Kristen contemplated and replied, "Claire."


	3. Chapter 2

_AN: I feel SOOOO bad! I forgot to post on here! I'm so sorry! Two updates this week then. My bad :/_

Was it hot?

Cold?

Humid?

Dry?

God…Alia Clarke couldn't even tell anymore. The sensations against her skin numbed after being here so long in this damn place. She missed the feeling of the sun's hot rays on her skin, or the cold chill of the night. She missed feeling the cool breeze sweep through her hair and passed her fingers. She missed seeing the green nature outside her little cottage and the peaceful sounds of the birds and insects.

Now, all she heard was silence. No birds, no insects, no wind striking her closed window. The seasons never changed, leaving her stranded in a thick aired environment that never eased up. Clouds always overcast the sun. It had been so long since she's seen the sun or felt it's rays on her skin. Trees stood high above her, the canopies bare from the forest fire many years ago. Branches hung low or lay on the ground, making the trees look dead. She inhaled and the first thing her heightened senses caught was the strong aroma of blood. Metal hung in the air, so strong that she turned the other direction and went away from it. _That's someone else's mess. Not mine. If I poke around, I could die._

Purgatory.

That's what this was. Her own personal Hell for what she had done. She couldn't convince herself that she was innocent anymore. She _deserved_ this. Hiding, scavenging, killing monsters, this was the life she had come to terms with. She never got a break, or had someone to talk to. No one shared life experience. Alia had been alone in her adventure for…God knows how long. _Too damn long to count._

Her hands reached out to grab a mushroom and some bark as she knelt down. She had thought about making a new potion for a while, but could never find the right ingredients in the damn place. Most of the soil was infertile, making it difficult to find anything she needed. Alia toyed with different ideas. _A potion that could do damage to someone might be nice. Oh, I could make it into something that could turn back time a few seconds to get me out of danger. Wait…can I even do that? Ooo! Something that explodes!_

Her mood face planted into the ground. She closed her eyes for a second and internally sighed. _I'm not trying to set the whole freaking forest on fire again. Come on._

Alia headed back to her tiny base camp and walked through the forest silently. Her hands brushed against her black dress, which was ripped at the bottom and had a few holes here and there. The dress used to be white, but she felt it made her too obvious out in the forest, so she used materials and smoke to change the color. She cut the skirt to make it short and harder to grab onto by enemies. Alia used the rest of the skirt to make a bag that slung over her shoulder. She learned how to do a lot of things over the years. She ventured through the burnt trees and came across the untouched forest once more. She felt the green leaves as she went by and tried to admire the nature, but couldn't push herself to do so. It was dead…all dead in a sense that anything that lived here was doomed to die at one point or another.

 _Snap._

Alia stopped in her tracks and listened intently. Trees surrounded her, yet she was out in the open, visible for any creature to see. She pushed her tangled brown hair out of her face while her gunmetal blue eyes looked for the cause of the noise. Her fingers wrapped around the handle of a hand crafted blade she made a long time ago. She had killed some leviathans and their blood splattered over a nearby stone. It hardened onto it and when she tried to break it, it wouldn't budge. Something about the combination created a reaction that made it the best material to make a blade. Alia sucked in a breath.

A Cyclops came out from behind the trees, littered in blood and skin from his enemies. Sweat dripped down his dark skin and his big gray eye focused on Alia. He cracked his knuckles and stalked towards her, waiting for the right time to pounce. A sinister smile formed on his lips and he grunted quietly.

Alia saw her advantage point and pulled him closer using telekinesis. He stumbled closer, allowing her to flick her wrist, causing his arm to bend backwards. He cried out in pain and aimed to punch her. She dodged it and scratched his eye with the blade. She ducked backwards when he gained control. The creature growled and launched towards her. He grabbed a hold of her hand, stealing the knife away and punched her in the face. He threw her into a tree, sending a shock up her spine.

She cried out in agony and quickly shot up. The knife flew threw the air and lodged itself into her side. Alia took it out to keep the germs from infecting it. She grit her teeth and lifted her arms, pointing at the trees. "Viva obiectum mine operari quae mihi opus erant praeterea vivunt et fac sicut a venias viveret."

Alia set her arms down and watched as the two trees came to life. They uprooted themselves from the ground, throwing dirt and grass everywhere. The middle of their trunks twisted up into menacing faces, glaring at the Cyclops as their eyes formed. Their low snarls echoed through the forest as their limbs reached out for the creature. They charged at it and the Cyclops accepted the battle.

The two trees collided with the creature and threw him around left and right. The Cyclops ripped a thick branch off of one of the trees, causing it to bleed sap. It shrieked in pain and stuck its free limb into the Cyclops' chest. The trees tore into him wildly, green blood flying everywhere. Its screams filled the air and the smell of iron intensified. Alia watched as the trees brutally murdered him. She had to do what she had to do, and she didn't want to use too much energy on a creature like him. That's why she summoned her protectors to aid her.

The trees got done mauling the Cyclops, dropping what was left of his body to the ground. They turned and rooted themselves back into the ground as if they were searching the perimeter for more enemies. Alia waited patiently and looked at the bloody pile of meat. There was nothing recognizable left of the Cyclops. The trees picked up on something and started to bum rush into the forest after the hostile threats.

Alia put her hand up, signaling the trees to stop. They halted in their position and waited for new orders. Her eyes searched hard for any figures within the trees, but she came up with nothing. She raised her arm, holding out her crafted blade and pointing it out in front of her. "Don't make them come after you. Show yourselves," Alia yelled out, her voice scratching at her throat. She hadn't talked that loud in _ages_ , not since she was yelling at…

Two men came out from the tree line, holding weapons close to their sides. Dirt coated their clothes and faces, and a few splotches of blood scattered over their skin. The shorter one wore a couple layers of clothing with a brown leather jacket to top it off. His jeans were torn at the knee on one leg and his boots were scuffed up. The sharp, dark colored blade he held curved jaggedly at the end. He twisted the handle in his hand, but quickly put it to his side when he saw Alia. The taller one had a bigger build and a heavier coat on. His full brown beard was coated lightly in blood and his blue eyes watched her carefully. He still stood on guard and grasped the weapon he had in his hand tighter. The weapon dripped of fresh blood from all four blades sticking out of the wood.

The shorter man called back, "We don't mean no harm, sweetheart." His green eyes focused on her and watched her every movement carefully. They were the same shade of green she remembered the grass being on Earth. Oh how she missed it… "We saw you getting attacked, so we thought we would help."

"Yeah. If we knew you could handle it, we wouldn't have bothered you," the taller one added. His accent was music to Alia's ears. It had been so long since she's heard someone else speak, much less with a foreign accent. The man motioned towards the trees, still on edge and ready to fight.

"Go," she dismissed them with a wave of her hand. The trees stalked off to their original root position, clawed their way into the ground again, and plopped down. Their faces twisted back into an oddly shaped bark and their limbs stuck out again, dripping blood from their latest kill. _Nobody would help down here. What the bloody hell are these two thinking?_ Alia surprised herself with her sudden use of her old accent in her thoughts. Over the course of…God knows when, she lost her accent and stopped talking altogether. She stood there for a moment, contemplating on what to do next. _I'd be a pudding-headed fellow if I let them in, but it would also be the same to let them go without acquiring knowledge first. The way they're dressed seems so…_ The word came as a sense of hope. _New._

She brought her attention to her wound doused in fresh blood. She grit her teeth and signaled them to follow her. Alia moved the boulder out of the way with a flick of her wrist, revealing a hole in the ground with makeshift stairs. She stepped down into her little home and moved the boulder back when the boys were inside. A small cot of clothes sat in the corner to make a bed. A few potions, pieces of meat, and canteens of water lined the wooden table and a small footstool sat next to it. The walls and the floor were made of a hard, infertile soil and gave the room an hot earthy smell. Alia set her stuff down on a table and got out a small canteen. "Make yourselves at home."

"This is…this is your home? You've made a home in purgatory? Seems a bit ridiculous, don't ya think?" The taller one commented. He stood idly near the stairs, still holding his weapon close to him. He watched Alia carefully, trust not found in his eyes.

Alia dismissed his comment with a roll of her eyes and tended to her wound. She poured fresh water onto it and dabbed it with a small rag before sowing it up. _Running out of thread…maybe I can make some from my next kill._ The thought floated through her mind and faded away when she saw the short man about to touch one of her potions. "Take your grubby paws off of that," she snapped.

The short man raised his hands in the air in defense and quickly dropped them down to his sides. His green eyes searched the place, but it didn't have much. "You have a lot of stuff for being in purgatory." He set his weapon on the table and flexed his hand, bringing feeling back into his fingers.

Alia bit the inside of her cheek. The answer pained her heart. _It's been so long…so long._ "I've been here for a long time…" She glimpsed away and asked, "How long have you two been here?"

"A year or so," the short one answered. The tall one shook his head and refused to reply. He stood straight and his muscles tensed up, always on the alert for something bad to happen. He had the hunter instinct.

She stood up fast and steadied herself from the blood rushing up to her head. "What year is it?" Her heartbeat sped up, the answers running around in her mind. So many years…Which one could it be? Is it like she had always imagined? Is there new technology, a transporting system other than horses and carriages, and medicine? Are the people nicer? Is everything cleaner? How's the earth? Are witches still around? Is there still beautiful countryside with animals roaming about? Alia's eyes widened in anticipation and a small adrenaline boost raced through her system.

"2012, probably 2013 by now," the short one declared in a low voice. He looked to his right as if he recalled a memory. He closed his eyes for a short second and licked his lips, until he was brought back to reality by the tall one clearing his throat.

Alia put her head in her hands and nearly fell backwards. _20…2013? It's been that long?_ Her hands shook while her heart sank. _Everyone….everyone I know is dead…_ Heartbreak and worry took over and Alia couldn't think straight. _Everything I knew is gone… My family…my friends…I have no one left, not even a bloodline. It ended with me. I can't…why don't…what…_

"We have to go," the taller one stated quietly. He motioned towards the exit and waited patiently. He twirled his weapon around and swung it a few times in an effort to practice. He sighed and cracked his neck, preparing to leave.

The shorter one nodded and got a little closer to Alia. He reached out to put a hand on her shoulder, but she quickly jerked away from him. He retracted his hand and set it at his side. He gazed at her with sympathy and asked, "Do you wanna come with us? We can help get you out of here."

 _Over three hundred years…I've been in this darned place for three hundred years._ Alia was skeptical and ran her hands through her dirty hair. "There is no way out. I've been here for so long that I think I would have heard of it."

"Let me take you there," he insisted, his expression showing a little compassion. He focused his green eyes on hers, searching to see any sign of an answer. "You're a human. You can get out, too."

 _What does that have to do with it? Aren't we all stuck here for all eternity?_ "What if there isn't one? What if you're leading me out to my death?" She accused quickly. She winced as her wound ached and eyed the two men suspiciously. Something about them seemed off. Purgatory only had a one way ticket for all eternity…right? It had to be. Unless…there really was an escape hatch.

The tall one pulled him aside and whispered something in his ear. His expression fell and hardened to a more serious one. The short man nodded and turned to Alia. "We're heading out."

"Take care of yourselves out there," Alia wished him farewell and moved the boulder out of the way. A sick feeling hid in the pit of her stomach, but she pushed it down farther and looked at the two men. The only real people that talked to her in a few hundred years were leaving. If anything, she was better off on her own. They could both take her stuff and kill her. _If they wanted to do that, they would have done it already._

The shorter one looked her in the eye and the muscle in his jaw flexed. He glanced away and agreed, "you too." The tall one moved out of the small home and the other one hung back a second. He picked his weapon up from the table and got a good grip on it. He turned to her and raised an eyebrow. "What's your name?"

She looked confused for a second. _No one's asked for that in…forever._ She dragged her hand down her mouth and finally decided to reply, "Alia. Alia Clarke."

"Alia…" The name rolled off his tongue smoothly and a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "I'm Dean. Maybe we'll meet up again someday."

Alia watched as he turned around and walked out. She left the entrance open to let fresh air into the space. Thoughts sped through her mind and her eyebrows slowly came together. _What if they're right? What if we can get out?_ Her light blue eyes focused on nothing particular, wandering around her empty home.

This was nothing. This wasn't living. This…wasn't happiness. Constantly killing other beings and being hunted wasn't the life she wanted for herself. _What am I doing? There's a chance to get out of this hell hole and I turned it down? Have I really gone mad? I have to see this new world for myself._

She got her potions together in her bag, held onto her weapon, and walked out of her house.


	4. Chapter 3

The yellow light from the street lights hit Kristen's closed eyes in waves, causing her to wake up. The roar of the engine shook the car as it sped down the street. The ride was smooth, leaving a calming sensation flow through her body. She almost thought she had jumped back in time to her childhood and left with her family on another road trip until she remembered where she was. She opened her brown eyes warily, exhaustion still hanging over her like a rain cloud. Her dark hair had been pulled up into a ponytail and her hand pulled at the loose strands underneath the weight of her head. Lots of trees passed by, blurring together as they came and went. Slow music played on the radio and she could hear Sam's soft humming on her left. Kristen rolled over and sat down in the seat correctly, blinking a few times in an attempt to wake herself up.

"You finally awake?" Sam asked and glanced over at her. He drove calmly, but not relaxed. He sat up straight, his hands firmly on the steering wheel. His body tensed up when he recalled the rescue mission and shook his head slightly to push the thought away for a few minutes.

"Yeah," she stretched her arms out and yawned. Her rib cage still hurt immensely, so she tried not to stretch her muscles out too much. Her head wasn't pounding and the pain in her skull disappeared, which was at least one blessing for her to count. Not too many blessings these days. "You've been driving this whole time?"

He nodded and kept his eyes on the road. "After the doctor cleared you to sleep, you passed out. You have major bruising and a cracked rib, but other than that, you're fine. You didn't have medical insurance, so they couldn't keep you there." He grabbed a water bottle from the cup holder without breaking his stare and handed it to her. "I still want to help you, Claire."

Kristen almost questioned the wrong name usage until she remembered her lie from when she met him. Giving him a fake name might have been a bad idea, but it seemed good at the time. She opened the bottle and took a long drink. "You're a hunter. Right? Living out of your car, always on the road…" She trailed off and capped the bottle.

He nodded subtly and replied, "Yeah. You?"

"Yeah."

Sam snorted, "You must have really pissed someone off if you don't remember the last day or so." Kristen stayed silent and ran a hand through her hair stressfully. Sam noticed the tension thickening and adjusted himself in his seat. "We're going to get something to eat," he declared and pulled up to the first diner he saw.

It was a little run down and the paint chipped away on the walls. Four cars parked close to the door, while the rest of the parking lot was empty. A white lit sign hung above the door that read _Hatsie's Diner_. Sam held the door open for Kristen and she walked inside, looking around the place as she did. Red leather cushions lined the wooden booths and stools. Music floated through the air from an old radio sitting on the counter. Customers ate and chatted above the sound of the music and laughed every now and then.

Sam and Kristen seated themselves and skimmed the menu in silence. The young waitress came and took their order, bringing their food back to them within ten minutes. Sam eyed Kristen's food, which filled the plate to the brim. He stifled a laugh and took a sip of his water.

"I'm a hunter, okay? Every meal has to be worth it because I don't know if it'll be my last," Kristen explained herself. She didn't care if he judged her, but he might as well know her reasoning. She took a bite of her food and groaned in satisfaction. The first sustenance she's had in over twenty-four hours tasted like the best thing she's ever had.

Sam put his hands up in defense, "Okay, you got me there." He set his hands down on the table top and studied her, trying to figure out what her story was. She must have upset the wrong people to end up almost dying in the forest. When he found her, she had soil entwined in her hair, so she had been buried alive at some point, just waiting for death to take over. The more he thought about it, the more it began to sound more horrible.

Kristen put her hand in front of her mouth to cover her chewing. She saw him eyeing her, taking in all of her features. He analyzed her, which she thought was smart. She'd be doing the same to him if she didn't know him. Sam looked lively, color still flush in his cheeks as his hazel eyes scanned hers. She never thought a Winchester looked so…nice. Her mother told her stories about the Winchester men, and from what she imagined, it was more roughed up than this. She swallowed her food and put her hand down. She pursed her lips. "I owe you my life."

He shook his head. "You don't owe m-"

"I owe you something," she countered adamantly. Having an opportunity to work with one of the most dangerous hunters out there? She might learn a thing or two, and hopefully not get killed in the process. Worth a shot.

Sam thought long and hard about the mission. His mission. The one that might get him killed one day, but damn, he's already died more times than he had thought he would. If she really kept her word, this just might work. "I need help getting someone out of Purgatory," Sam said in a hushed voice. His mouth formed a tight line and he kept his eyes on her to see her reaction. Her reaction determined everything. If she was shocked, she might want to know more about it and decide to help. If she was too nonchalant about it, she'd say no within the next minute. Sam asked too many hunters to aid him, but most of them thought he was insane to even attempt to get Dean out of there.

Kristen almost choked on her food and coughed. Her eyes widened in shock. "The real purgatory? Really? That exists?" A few people turned to see if she was alright, diverting attention to the two hunters. Sam pushed her cup of water closer to her and nodded subtly, waiting for everyone's attention to scatter. _Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory? Shit…Makes sense in a way._ She took a few sips before continuing, "Why do we have to get someone out? Aren't they supposed to stay _in_?"

The next few words came out in a serious manner, cut clean and simple, "My brother is in there."

She set the glass of water down on the table carefully and locked eyes with Sam. _Dean Winchester stuck in purgatory? God help us all._ She thought and furrowed her eyebrows. "How long?"

Sam averted his eyes and sighed longingly. His jaw muscle flexed and his lip flattened out into a tight line. The words came out low and breathlessly, "A year…" He turned his head to the right and closed his eyes for a second to recuperate his composure. He calmed down and looked back at Kristen. "Claire, to be fully honest, I haven't really started looking for a way in until three months ago."

 _That_ was shocking. A Winchester not looking immediately? The other hunters would never believe it. Gossip always says the Winchesters would give themselves up for each other in a heartbeat, and would take anyone down who got in their way. Kristen studied Sam to see if he was lying, but he didn't even flinch. He sounded sincere, and most importantly, he looked to his right. He recalled a memory. She asked curiously, "Why?"

"Just got caught up in a life I've always wanted," he shrugged half-heartedly.

 _The more information I can get, the more I can use to my advantage later on._ If she were to get into trouble with the Winchesters, she could throw the information back in Sam's face and let him fight it out with his brother. She could slip out of there without them noticing, or at least she'd have a slight advantage towards her survival. Kristen played around with the food on her plate and glanced up at him from time to time. "What changed?"

Sam sat up straighter and cleared his throat softly. He brushed some hair that fell in his face behind his ear. He grabbed his fork and started to jab a few pieces of his salad. "I thought about what it was like to be in the cage in hell, and if purgatory is anything like that, I don't want him to go through it," he explained in a low tone.

She remembered when word spread around years ago that one of the Winchester boys dove into the cage to save the world. It was entirely stupid, but brave, nonetheless. That felt like so long ago…If Sam got out of the most protected cage in history, there might be a chance to help Dean. As ridiculously dangerous as this sounded, a little adventure wouldn't hurt. Maybe then Sam wouldn't start another apocalypse. "I'll help," Kristen responded with confidence.

Sam cocked his head slightly and stared at her in shock. His eyes squinted for a second, a small smile curling at the ends of his lips. "Really?" She nodded in reply. Sam continued with a chuckle, "I thought you would say no. This idea is insane, even for me."

Kristen laughed and caught a glimpse of his smile. It suited him, but she might not see another smile again until they get his brother back, so she enjoyed the moment. She shrugged and returned with a grin of her own. "I'm interested in insanity. It leads to the greatest adventures. There's a great quote in this game I used to play with my little brother: 'Madness is not a state of mind. Madness is a place. Let's go there, shall we?'. "

"Well, I think I've been there quite a few times," Sam mumbled to himself. Kristen fell silent and took a bite of her food. He didn't think she heard what he said, but according to the silence, she probably did. He was just thankful she didn't try to press it out of him. "You don't have anywhere to be?"

Kristen snorted, "Considering I still don't remember what happened to me, I think staying with another hunter could help." She poked around her food until she popped another piece into her mouth. What she said was the truth. She had nowhere to be and no one to stay with at the moment. He was her best bet of finding something to do until she got on her feet again and solved her memory problem.

"Do you have any family you could stay with?"

The question hit her hard and she felt her mind cloud for a moment.

 _"Stop her!" Kristen's mother, Ofelia, yelled at the two boys in the room. She scrambled up from the ground and passed by the broken table. A thin trail of blood dripped down from her forehead and she winced from the pain. Her short black hair hung up in a messy ponytail and her green eyes glared at Kristen as if she were a monster. "Grab her arms!"_

 _Worry built up in Kristen's system and she watched her family carefully. Her father, Mark, inched up on her left, a grief stricken expression falling over his face. His brown eyes glanced between Kristen and his son while trying to keep his calm. This whole fighting thing was new to him, it was almost too easy to tell. Mark's hands shook and he shifted his weight between his each leg unsteadily. A couple beads of sweat dripped down his short brown hair and dampened his forehead. Mark talked to his hard of hearing son using sign language, "Grab her arms."_

 _Kristen's little brother, Tyler, warily walked closer on her right, fright overshadowing the gentleness of his hazel eyes. His short, curly brown hair brushed his long eyelashes and freckles sprinkled across his crinkled nose. He only came up to Kristen's shoulder, but as she looked down on him, he almost cowered in fear. His voice came out in a scared muffled whine, "Mom, I don't want to hurt her."_

 _Both seemed intimidated by her and hesitated to leap forward. Her mother took out a small pocket knife and held it tightly in her hand. "Just do it!" She ordered, stepping closer carefully._

 _No…This can't be happening._ _Kristen thought in disbelief. She kicked her little brother down when he advanced and knocked him down to the ground. She waited patiently for her father to come at her and twisted his arm behind his back tightly. She set her hand on his head and threw him against the coffee table, making him cry out in shock._

 _A pain jolted up her side and she quickly spun around, facing her mother. Ofelia swung the bloody knife at her, but Kristen dodged it every time. Dash, dash, duck, it was the usual fight routine with her mother, and she knew it quite well. Her mother surprised her with a punch to the jaw, making her jaw slack for a moment. Kristen retaliated with a kick to the shin and a fist to the rib cage. Ofelia grunted and went in for another swish with the knife, but Kristen caught her wrist and put immense pressure on her veins. She grabbed her mother's other hand and twisted it sharply around._

 _Her mother yelled and bit Kristen's hand to make her let go, but she wouldn't give up. Ofelia dropped the blade and kicked her daughter in the stomach. One punch, two punches, three punches, soon Kristen caught onto the pattern and head-butted her. Her mother stumbled backwards in a daze, allowing Kristen to pick up the knife and advance towards her._

"Claire?"

Sam snapped Kristen out of her memory and she scrunched her eyebrows in confusion. _W-were they possessed by demons and tried to kill me? No…the fear in their eyes…that was all them. Why were they attacking me? What happened to my family in the past twenty-four hours?_ She questioned herself internally until she noticed Sam waited for a reply. She stumbled over the first few words, "W-what? Oh…y-yeah. I…I don't want to worry my family with my memory loss. They would worry too much and swamp me with questions." Without knowing the full story, she could be walking in to dangerous territory if she decided to go back. She faked a small nervous laugh, "I'd rather stay away from them."

"Okay then. I understand that," he declared and munched on some of his salad. He watched her as she slowly slunk back in confusion and stared off into space for the rest of the meal until they left. Something wasn't right, but he decided not to do anything about it just yet. Timing was important. It makes or breaks a lot of things. For instance, relationships, hunts, kills, deals, and pretty much anything important in his line of work. Sam chose to keep his deal with her and not question too much until she was ready to. He needed her to help more than anything. He couldn't get Dean out of purgatory alone.


	5. Chapter 4

This was a stupid idea.

Believing those two men had a way out turned out to be foolish. They had been wandering in circles for days! Alia trailed far behind them, and when she lost them, she walked in the same direction until she found them again. They followed the river for some time until the vampire, Benny, had pointed them towards the forest.

The two did not talk much until they met a third party member, Castiel. When Alia saw him in action, she figured out he was something else. He definitely came from behind the gates of heaven because of the bright white light he emitted in combat, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Angel probably, but who knew what else was up there lurking around. When he came along for the ride, the boys spoke more. Alia learned the other two men's names quickly and tried to study them. Quick, agile, not hesitating to kill when the occasion arose. These men were ruthless here.

Castiel would peer backwards every now and then as if he knew something the other two didn't. Alia knew he had sensed her and found her, but he didn't tell the others. Curious. Maybe he drew a conclusion that she was harmless, or at least sparing their lives for a reason. Whichever it was, she always remained far away from them, stalking, observing, anything she had to.

Then she saw it.

The portal. Her escape. Her savior. Her messiah. Too many names described the important thing at the top of the cliff. With freedom so close, goosebumps formed on Alia's arms. Shivers snaked down her spine. She stared at it breathlessly for a moment, almost too shocked to move. It felt like eternities had passed since she'd been on earth, and now she finally faced a way out and nearly froze. _What is it going to be like over there? Good, terrible, frightening, chaotic, or all of the above? Either way, it's better than this hell hole._ She came to a conclusion.

Before she realized it, Dean and Castiel were already at the top of the cliff next to the blue flaming portal. Dean stepped up to the portal, trying to keep pace with his slow friend. "Cas, damnit, come on!"

Castiel climbed up the rocks slowly, not too eager to get up to the portal.

Dean stepped inside the portal, holding back and waiting for his friend to join him. Dean reached his free hand out to him and yelled over the loud sounds of the divider between realms, "Come on!" Cas latched onto his hand, but planted himself in his spot. "I got you, hold on!" Dean reassured him.

"Dean!"

Dean wouldn't let go. It would be the last thing he'd do. He was determined to get both of them out of that god forsaken place. "Hold on!"

"Dean, go," Cas let go of Dean's hand and stood back. Dean appeared confused, but the portal sucked him away before he could say anything. Castiel stood there for a moment, breathing heavily and staring off in thought. He cleared the sweat of his brow with his dirt-ridden hand and whispered something to himself.

Alia tilted her head slightly in slight confusion and interest. The portal opened when Dean was near it, so if she stepped closer, it should open for her by the same logic. _With freedom so close, why didn't Castiel leave?_ _He couldn't possibly want to be here. This place is horrible. I would not wish my worst enemy to be stuck here._ Alia contemplated, the question scratching at the back of her mind.

Cas climbed down from the cliff and peered around cautiously. His eyebrow twitched and he eyed the place Alia hid behind. Castiel flexed his fingers, itching to grab his weapon, but refrained. He called out, "I know you're there."

The witch stayed in her position, her blazingly blue eyes flickering to any nearby objects. Trees surrounded her, along with a few pieces of shrubbery. Nothing too helpful. She didn't want to hurt this guy because he had relations to Dean, but if he forced her to, that would become a different story. Her voice rose over the silence, "I just want to go home."

Castiel remained silent for a moment, analyzing her from the other side of the trees. Cas concluded she was a human witch who could do no harm, as tough as she sounded. She felt boxed in this realm, desperately drowning and dying to get out. Castiel understood the feeling and decided she would do more good than harm in the real world. He dropped his arms to his sides and his lips formed a tight line. "Then go. The portal will open as soon as you step forward."

Alia hesitatingly walked to him, distancing herself enough to keep some space between them. She flicked her black hair to the side and out of her eyes. Her hand gripped around the handle of her blade, which was a natural habit for her after her tiring journey through Purgatory. The question irritating her gushed out of her mouth like a waterfall, "Why did you decide to stay here?"

Castiel sighed deeply and ruffled his hair. The same question nagged him for days. The reason took a bit to form because he never really admitted it out loud before. He moved around in his black stained shirt and crinkly trench coat to shake the feeling of paranoia away. His ocean eyes glanced around the surrounding area for enemies. "I never had the heart to tell Dean I was going to stay in Purgatory all along."

Alia's eyebrow twitched in response to his words and an unsettling feeling knotted in her stomach. His response gave her the wrong vibe, causing her to assume the angel turned somewhat dark side. "Why?" The dreaded word seemed like the only thing Alia could say nowadays. Why did this have to happen to her? Why did she have to do what she did? Why was she stupid? Why was this magical portal here and she never knew about it? Why would someone want to stay here when almost all creatures craved to escape?

"I deserve it. This…never ending hell for the supernatural," his voice dropped lower and a wave of regret washed over him. "With everything I've done, I need to atone to it somehow. Purgatory is where I belong."

 _Everything he's done?_ Alia took out her weapon and raised it towards him. Suspicion picked at her brain, but she was not sure she had to turn to such drastic measures. _Maybe being in this place so long made him go insane…_ That seemed like a plausible thought. She watched him with a stone cold emotionless expression, waiting for him to strike, but he rooted himself to his spot. _I have to end him before he decides to leave and wreak havoc on the world later on._

Cas eyed Alia warily. His lips formed a tight line and he exhaled loudly through his nose. "You don't want to do this." Castiel's jaw locked in place and the sympathetic look in his eyes vanished when Alia made the first move.

She forced her blade down, aiming for his shoulder, but clashed against Castiel's metal angel blade. A hard sound pervaded the air and Alia went in for another jab. Cas dodged and punched her square in the chin, sending her backwards. She propped herself up against a tree and grunted. Her teeth pierced into her tongue, causing it to bleed and allow the metallic liquid swirl around her mouth. She glared at Cas, her fingers curling around the weapon's handle tighter and tighter.

Castiel tried to hold himself back from fighting. He didn't want to do this today. He wasn't going to kill a human, even if she was in Purgatory. Alia marched towards him and was met only with defense from her opponent. He would not hit her or make a move. She aimed the blade for his stomach, his shoulder, his neck, and he shielded himself in the respective areas. Adrenaline pumped through her system and Alia went in for a kick. Castiel stumbled a bit, but remained standing on both feet.

Alia lunged forward, aiming to get a critical hit on Cas. He simply moved to the side and jerked backwards when she almost nicked him. "I don't want to kill you," he stated, a look of defeat in his eyes.

She twirled around and cut him in the arm successfully. He winced at the contact from the leviathan blood covered blade and waited for Alia's next move. "How can I trust you? Someone who wants to stay in Purgatory?" She questioned, spitting some of the blood from her mouth onto the ground.

Cas wished he knew an answer for that question. The answer was nonexistent, so he continued to defend himself against her. Castiel caught her weapon as she went in for an attack, the blade scraping against the palm of his hand. He tore it out of her grasp and threw it far into the forest away from their fight. If she wanted it, she had to go get it. Sadly for her, she didn't. She swung her fist at him. One. Two. Three. Each a miss, until the fourth swing hit him in the side of his head. He yelled out for a split second and seized her arm, quickly bending it in a painful direction.

Alia cried out and kicked him in the shin. Castiel's leg buckled under the pressure, allowing his opponent to elbow him in the back swiftly before he could retaliate. He collapsed onto the ground, exhaling loudly. Without a weapon, Alia knew she couldn't get rid of the guy, so she did what she thought was best.

Escape.

The portal opened, the blue flames expanding out to nearly lick the trees. Alia could barely handle all of the emotions going through her. Rage, fear, excitement, sheer joy, and other reactions spun around in her head, fighting each other for dominance. This was it. Her one way ticket out of here. She hiked her way up to the portal and stepped inside. Alia looked back to see Castiel standing where she had left him, staring up at her. His face formed an expression of despair before he turned around in the other direction. Then, everything was black.

The portal opened up on the other side, allowing her to walk out onto the Earth for the first time in a couple hundred years. The blue portal ate itself, crumbling into nothing in a span of a short few seconds.

Everything hit Alia at once, overloading her senses. The smell of the oak trees. Fresh, earthly dirt. Dew-covered grass. The sounds of grasshoppers chirping. Flies buzzing. Wind rustling through the leaves on the trees. Alia gazed up with tear stained eyes to see glistening stars in the sky, alongside the moon in their silent tune as they flickered. The moon's rays hit her skin, sending a powerful feeling through her body. She leaned up against a rough tree and she ran her fingers along the bark. The tree was alive and well, not dying or dead like they were in Purgatory.

Alia dropped down to her knees and rubbed her hands against the grass. The soft texture against her skin soothed her, reminding her of the old days when she would run in meadows until she just rolled around in the grass. She dug her hands into the earth, picking up some soil and threading it in between her fingers. A worm wriggled around in the palm of her hand, and Alia set it down back into the ground before crying out in sheer happiness. She lay on the ground, taking in every sensory object she could.

It all overwhelmed her. Her mind fogged and she quickly became dizzy. Tears fell from her eyes, but for the first time in forever, they were because of happiness. Soft gasps escaped her lips as she sobbed into her hands. Getting to experience all of this again felt like heaven. It took a few minutes for Alia to recuperate from the experience and wiped her eyes with the back of her dirt-ridden hand.

Alia jumped up from her spot and sprinted through the forest. The excitement in her system was almost unbearable to contain. Fresh smells stuck inside her nose and her feet stomping on the ground was the loudest noise she could hear. Pure joy bubbled up inside of her and a smile clung to her lips. _I'm here! I'm finally here!_

A twig snapped on her left and Alia immediately halted. She stood as still as a statue and listened intently. Her hand ghosted over where her knife would be holstered, but found nothing. She groaned internally and scolded herself when she realized she left it back in Purgatory. The surrounding area went silent and Alia held her breath.

A pitter-patter rose on her left, and a brown rabbit hopped into view. Alia forced herself to not react and send the rabbit flying into a tree. The creature's dark, beady eyes peered up at her curiously and twitched its nose in response.

Alia's stomach rumbled lowly, causing her to wince. Her stare fixated on the rabbit hungrily, her tongue grazing across her lips. She stopped and shook her head. _I'm not gutfoundered, and definitely not going to kill the first animal I see. Someone out there will take me in and show some hospitality._

A sunken feeling dug itself in the pit of her stomach. Alia didn't know the world anymore. The people, places, objects, nothing will be the same. The world she knew is _gone._ Her pub must be gone, her horse long dead, the scenery around what used to be her little cottage probably gone altogether.

Everything changed, and that's what scared her the most.


	6. Chapter 5

Sam's phone buzzed loudly on the backseat. He glanced over at Kristen and then fixated his gaze on the road. His hands tightened around the steering wheel when he realized he couldn't retrieve his phone and drive simultaneously. "Claire, can you answer it and put it on speaker please?"

 _He trusts me enough to listen to his calls? If we're working together, I guess we both have to know the whole situation._ She nodded and bent over the seat to reach the phone. "Kevin is calling you," Kristen mumbled when she saw the lit up screen. Her fingers grazed the cellular device until she got a hold of it, allowing her to answer the call before it ended. She plopped down into the front seat and held the phone near Sam.

"Hey Kevin," Sam spoke loudly to make sure the phone picked up his voice. He sped down the country road, eager to get where the next safe house was.

Kevin's scratchy voice crackled through the speaker, "Garth heard there were a few demons prowling around Maine. They claim they know something that will change the course of Hell forever. If Crowley has a new weapon, we have to know about it."

"Alright. Send me the information. Thanks Kevin," Sam replied.

Kevin almost hung up until he said, "Hey, when you come back, bring me some fast food. The food I have here is driving me crazy." With that, he hung up.

The call ended and Sam's cell phone wallpaper appeared. A woman with curly brown hair stared at the sunset. She appeared to be laughing, her smile large and bright. The yellows, oranges, and red shades of the sunset mixed together against her white dress. A big dog sat next to her, its fur different colors of brown, white, and a dark gray.

Sam's hazel eyes flickered over to her and cleared his throat. Kristen locked the phone and set it down, a few questions buzzing through her mind. "Is that her? The one that kept you from looking for your brother?" She questioned, the words slipping through her mouth before she even considered it a little too personal to talk about.

His lips flattened into a tight line and quickly responded in a calm tone, "She didn't keep me from anything."

Kristen shook her head and snorted, "That's not what I meant. She must have kept you…occupied. Right? Probably gave you a good time, shared memories, that kind of stuff?" Her attention flickered from him to the road in front of her. She didn't want to make him uncomfortable by staring at him while speaking of something so personal. She probably shouldn't be speaking about this anyways, but yet she kept pushing on.

Sam sighed heavily. "Amelia gave me the life I've always wanted. I just…thought that I didn't deserve that life when Dean is in Purgatory. Being unbelievably happy when he's suffering?" His jaw clenched, making his jaw line more prominent. His right eye twitched slightly at the thought of it and managed to say, "It isn't worth it."

She scratched the back of her head and waited for the awkward silence to take over so she could change the subject. The topic now seemed to sensitive and fresh in Sam's mind, so she decided to stop pushing him to talk about it. She tapped her fingers against her legs to the beat of the song playing on the radio. "So who's Kevin?"

"A friend," Sam answered swiftly.

Kristen raised an eyebrow at his vague answer. "Where is he?"

"In a safe house." He turned the wheel left to head up to Maine.

"Do you guys have a cool base or something?" She smiled and joked around. The Winchesters were always on the road. She thought if they had a home, they'd be in it all the time and not roaming the country like nomads. Then again, they wouldn't be saving people in different states, and that would be unfortunate.

"You're curious about a lot of things."

Kristen shrugged nonchalantly. "It keeps me on my toes."

"Yeah, but curiosity killed the cat," Sam chuckled and glanced over at her. She laughed a bit before looking out of the passenger side window at the nature passing by. He was right. Curiosity did kill the cat, and eventually, it will catch up to her too. Curiosity would boil up in her system and get her killed.

When that day comes, he can say he told her so.

Sam popped the trunk open, revealing numerous weapons. Pistols, shotguns, knives, mini axes, a bat, a spear, small bags of ammo, other miscellaneous items, you name it, the Winchesters had it. Kristen's eyes widened at the arsenal and watched as Sam dug into it. He moved things around until he found a small knife. "This is a handcrafted knife capable of killing demons using a fatal blow. It will hurt them if you scratch them with it, so any hit counts, but make sure to go in for the kill."

He handed it to Kristen, allowing her to examine it and feel its weight. Light. Unevenly balanced due to the blade being a little top heavy. The handle felt hand-carved, but she couldn't place whether the material was made of wood or bone. The symbols embedded into the metal intrigued her the most. She quirked an eyebrow at his words. "What about the people they're possessing?"

"What about them?" Sam appeared confused, but continued on his search for another weapon. He wasn't bothered at all by his earlier words and didn't think she would be either.

She narrowed her eyes at him and enunciated her words clearly, "Don't they deserve to have their lives back? If it's a fatal blow, it'll kill them too."

"I hate to say this, but we can't save everyone, Claire. We can't go in there and perform twenty different exorcisms just to save the people. Chances are some of them are already dead," he sighed and glanced over at her occasionally. He pushed some guns and ammo to the side as he fished through the trunk.

"And that justifies what we're going to do?"

He shook his head. "No, but it'll save people from being possessed by those demons. If they get loose, they'll just hurt someone else. We end it here and now after we get the information." Sam pulled out a long, silver metal blade before closing the trunk.

Kristen's stomach churned. She became a hunter to protect her little brother and other people. Killing innocents was never part of the job, even if they were possessed. _If the King of Hell has a new weapon, we have a bigger problem than just killing civilians._ Desperate to find another conversational topic, her light chocolate eyes flickered to the weapon he held. She had never seen one like it before, causing her interest to peak. "What's that?"

He got a firm grip on the weapon before answering, "An angel's blade. I took one after…some chaos happened." Sam nodded to her and paused. He hung back a second and locked his hazel eyes on her. "Are you going to be okay? You're still pretty injured. Maybe you should sit this one out."

She didn't hesitate to answer, pushing away the slight pain that came when she moved, "I'll be fine. You asked me to help, and that's exactly what I'm going to do." Kristen turned to the little run-down factory building and walked to the entrance. Sam followed quietly, holding the angel blade tightly in his hand.

They entered silently and split up towards either side of the factory floor. Boxes lined the room in a scrambled order and a forklift was parked in the middle of the concrete floor. The white walls began to chip away and some of the glass on the windows had been shattered. A strong smell of sulfur floated through the air, almost causing Kristen to gag. Both hunters looked around intently for an enemy, but no one else was in the building. Sam motioned her to the back door and led her outside into a small grass area. Tall trees surrounded them, shading the grass with their big canopy of leaves.

A group of six demons were conversing back and forth until Sam and Kristen stepped out of the building. All eyes locked on the hunters and they scowled. They blinked, their eyes turning black on command. Each one had a switchblade with them, the metal shining in the light. Sam glanced over at Kristen in worry until she nodded, indicating she'd be alright. Sam's lips tightened into a straight line before he dove in to attack. The group split in half and swarmed the hunters in tiny groups of three.

Sam kicked the first demon that came close and punched another. He stepped to his right to avoid an attack and stabbed its body in the heart. The skeleton inside glowed red and the light flickered out as the demon fell lifeless to the floor. Sam forced the knife out and cut another demon's arm. It cried out in agony and the second demon threw the hunter into a tree using telekinesis. Sam grunted and got back up.

Kristen was hesitant at first. She felt horrible for having to do this to innocent people, but they were probably dead either way. One demon left the group to help fend off Sam, leaving two demons with Kristen. She counted that as a good thing. Her bones still ached from earlier. She watched the two demons carefully and waited for them to make a move.

The shorter one went in for a blow to the face, but Kristen ducked and threw her fist at his stomach. He lurched forward, allowing her to elbow him in the back. She gripped the knife tightly and cut the tall woman in the neck. Blood dripped down into the demon's clothing, but it wasn't a deep enough wound to kill her. The demon teleported before Kristen could stab her, so she stabbed the short guy instead. He squealed for a split second and then the light within him died.

Kristen took a breath to look around for the woman. A pain in her ribcage surged up her side when the demon punched her. The hunter yelped and spun around to face the demon. She swung the knife at the creature. Swing. Swing. Each one a miss. The demon cut into Kristen's arm with the switchblade and grabbed a hold of her. Kristen kicked the demon in the shin and threw her head back, colliding with the demon's skull. The evil creature stumbled backwards, giving the hunter the advantage. Kristen stabbed the demon in the temple, forcing the knife through its crunchy brain. The demon couldn't muster words in its last moments and collapsed. Kristen huffed and held her rib cage, her broken rib aching more than ever. If her body wasn't bruised to hell before, it was now.

Sam got double teamed by two demons. He threw the angel blade at one demon, killing him on impact. The second one kicked him in the back of his knee, making Sam collapse. The demon got him into a choke hold; Sam struggled and attempted to elbow the demon. He stood up and pushed the demon into the tree trunk roughly. The demon winced, but still held on. Sam's face turned pink and he slowly lost air in his lungs. He moved them to another part of the grass area and threw himself onto the demon. They both slammed onto the ground with a thud. The demon released his hold and Sam quickly rolled over.

Kristen grabbed the angel blade and rushed to the demon, stabbing him in the heart. She took the weapon out of the still body and wiped the blood off onto the deceased's clothes. Sam put a hand on her arm and she nodded, indicating she was good. The hunters stood up and eyed the last demon, who broke out into a sprint in the other direction.

Sam ran after him and tackled him, imprisoning him under his weight. Sam grabbed him by the arms, forcing him to stand up. "What's the new big thing that's going on in Hell? Got word that it is pretty powerful," Sam asked him before tightening his grip on his arms. When met with silence, Sam poured holy water on the demon's head, causing him to let out a horrifying shriek.

The demon's face contorted. He gasped in pain and yelled, "I'm as good as dead! Just kill me now! End my pain! It would be better than going back to my boss alone."

Kristen scoffed and cut his cheek and shoulder sharply. He cried out, but grit his teeth to compose himself. The vein in his temple throbbed at the intense pressure. She scoffed at his silence, "We'll spare you that horrible fate if you give us all the information you know." Kristen exchanged the angel blade for the holy water, allowing Sam to get comfortable with his weapon again. He forced the blade into the demon's arm, and an ear-piercing scream escaped from the creature's lips.

The demon exhaled deeply and shut his eyes tight. He thought it over for a few seconds and nodded. Anything was better than going back empty handed. "Another demon is trying to rank up in Hell. They'll eventually try to take over the world if the Winchesters don't stop them first." He closed his mouth and stopped talking. Kristen splashed more holy water on his face, making him screech. "Okay! Okay…I remember them saying _Memory is the key_. Key to what? I got no clue. That's all I know, I swear."

 _Memory is the key? Are they talking about my memory? Am I involved with this?_ Kristen backed away a bit and focused on keeping her breathing steady. _Please, God, tell me that I'm not working with demons on some evil scheme._

Sam pushed the demon against the wall of the factory building harshly. "What new weapon does Crowley have up his sleeve?" he demanded.

"Crowley? I don't work for that piece of shit," the demon spat in Sam's face. He snarled and his eyes flickered black. The cold, dark stare fixated on Kristen, making her eyebrows furrow in curiosity. If he wasn't working for Crowley, then there was a new player on the field.

Sam pushed the blade up against his throat. "Who do you work for?"

The demon ignored him and looked Sam straight in the eye. "Long live the Queen," he grunted right before he stabbed himself with the angel blade in Sam's hand.

Sam's jaw locked in place as he stepped backwards, allowing the body so slump onto the ground with a thud. The demon's hand unclenched from its fist and a small gem clashed against the floor. Sam knelt down and examined it, only to find out it was a small ruby. Precisely cut, diamond shaped, a breathtaking ruby red shade, this gem seemed perfect. "Why would a demon have a gem like this?" he asked himself out loud and furrowed his brow. " _Long live the Queen_? Who would that be?"

Someone grabbed Kristen from behind and she immediately went for a kick in the shin. The demon grunted, but didn't let go until she twirled the knife around in her hand and cut some skin on his side. Kristen whirled around and forced the knife into his chest, making the demon's skin flash red a few times before he fell to the floor lifeless. She stood there, staring down at the body as blood slid down the knife and onto her hand. Her fingers twitched around the weapon, curling around it tighter and tighter. Her breathing seemed to be the only audible sound and her vision faded as her mind melted into another flash back.

 _Kristen picked up the knife and advanced towards her mother. The next action was so swift, so clean. Kristen swung the weapon, slitting Ofelia's throat. Blood gushed out of the fatal wound, splattering Kristen in the face and onto her shirt. Ofelia reached for the knife in one last attempt, but her daughter kicked her into the wall. She hit the ground, choking on her own blood in her final moments._

 _Kristen didn't feel broken. She felt hot, boiling anger. She craved the need for bloodshed, craved to smell the iron in the air. Blood raced through her veins and her heavy breathing couldn't be heard over the sound of her erratic heartbeat. She never experienced this before…feeling fully alive, like all her nerves and brain functions awoke from a long slumber. Everything made sense to her at that moment, and she knew what she was doing was for the greater good._

 _Kristen's eyes darted to her right, catching her father sprinting towards her little brother. "This is fun and all, but I really thought you guys would have made it a bit more exciting," she released a bored sigh and launched the knife at Mark's back. It pierced directly through his spine, causing him to collapse and hit his head hard on the stairwell._

 _Tyler stared at his older sister, mortified beyond belief. He backed away slowly, his whole body shaking in fear. He paled and watched as Kristen forced the knife out of their father's back. She walked towards him, one menacing step at a time. Blood trickled from her temple down to her chin as the same red substance dripped from the knife. She spun the weapon around in her hand and kept a low gaze on her sibling. It wasn't until he tried to run away that she quickened her pace and grabbed him. He screamed and wriggled around, but nothing helped._

 _The knife dug into Tyler's stomach, causing him to lurch forward and let out a shrill cry. Kristen held the knife there and set him down onto the floor calmly. Blood was everywhere, staining both of their clothes in giant wet splotches. He grimaced and made agonizing high pitched noises. Tyler whispered one word before death finally took over, "Kristy…" His cold, unmoving hazel eyes locked onto the ceiling and his head fell back against Kristen's arm._

"I killed them…" Kristen mumbled to herself in disbelief, a single tear falling from her eye. Her heart shattered, much like when a piece of glass falls and hits the ground. Her breath hitched and her lungs constricted, making her air intake a lot shorter. A gut wrenching pain settled in her stomach, twisting and writhing to cause more torture. She screamed internally, feeling ghostly vibrations shaking her body. _No no no no no no…_ Her thoughts crumbled and only one remained.

 _I murdered my family._

She locked her jaw in place and forced herself to walk back to the car. She needed air in her face, needed to drive, needed to do something in order to lose herself. Or, maybe she didn't need to lose herself. Maybe she needed to analyze the flashback. There was something missing, something throwing her off that just didn't seem right.

"Claire?" Sam called out. He furrowed his brow in a confused state and cocked his head a bit. When he realized where she was going, he sprinted to catch up with her. "What the hell was that?"

She shook her head and her muscles tensed up. Her body and mind wanted to break down, but she wouldn't let it, at least until she was alone. She locked her gaze onto the 1967 Chevy Impala and murmured, "It was nothing."

"That wa-"

Kristen turned around sharply, almost making him bump into her. The muscle in her jaw twitched and she looked directly into Sam's hazel eyes. Her words came out in a low hiss, "I don't want to talk about it. Alright?" He glanced over her features with a blank expression and then nodded in agreement. Kristen hopped into the car and brooded, trying to take in the flashback inch by inch. The silent drive left her time to analyze everything, but she came up with nothing in the end. No motive. No freak incident. Just pain. All she felt now was heart throbbing pain.

Before she realized it, they were at their destination somewhere in the secluded area of Whitefish, Montana. Daylight showered over everything, but the run down wooden cabin stayed shaded by the surrounding trees. Wood blocked up the windows, while dirt and leaves covered the roof. The grass around the place still looked green and healthy, making the scenery appear almost calming.

Kristen stepped out of the car and told Sam she'd catch her breath before going inside. She walked ahead for a few minutes, taking in the sun's rays on her skin. The warmth felt great, contrasting to the cold she remembered when she woke up buried alive. She rubbed her hands against her arms and cleared her mind as much as she could before returning to the cabin. Kristen didn't want to be rude to Sam, so pushing the memory and emotions away might help. The door creaked open as she pushed against it, making her cringe as she walked inside.

Another man stood next to Sam, and whirled around quickly when he heard her enter. He almost went to punch her until he stopped himself and began to glare at Sam with his green eyes. His dirty blonde hair had been ruffled many times in the past few hours, probably out of stress or anticipation. He was shorter than Sam, but had the same fashion style and wore a light cream plaid shirt with blue jeans.

 _Oh God…Here we go._ She thought and waited in the doorway for the man to start yelling.


	7. Chapter 6

"You left me to rot in that hell hole _for a girl_?" The man glared at Sam intensely. His assumption made his expression fall and his jaw clenched. Just thinking about it made him hurt and angry. He waited for an answer from Sam, but Sam didn't exactly know how to do that.

Kristen butted in and shook her head, "No, no, we just met."

Sam agreed and hopped in, "I helped her and she wanted to return the favor. What do you think I've been doing this whole time? I was out looking for answers about where you had gone, Dean."

 _Ah, the infamous Dean Winchester. Wait…how did he get out of Purgatory? Isn't that a one way street?_ Kristen contemplated. She decided to tell the truth. "You said you have only been looking for three months," she pointed out. Sam turned to her and shot her a resting bitch face. The word _really?_ was plastered all over his expression. Kristen shrugged and glanced over at Dean. She might as well stay out of this until their arguing died down.

Dean's eyebrows shot up, wrinkling his forehead in the process. " _Three months_? You waited seven god damn months to go looking for me?" He almost laughed and licked his dry lips. "We told each other we wouldn't look for each other if something were to happen. Of course, we never listen. Shows our brotherly love, right? What happened to that?"

Sam hesitated and looked away. He cleared his throat before speaking, "I found something worth quitting for. Then….then I realized all the horrible places you could have been. I couldn't just sit there and let you rot. I came to my senses."

Dean tilted his head slightly in confusion and furrowed his brow. He put his hand up to motion Sam not to speak for a moment. "So you completely gave up on hunting? The family business?"

"For a while." Sam peered back at his brother ashamedly. He knew what he did was wrong, but he yearned to have his own life. Something he could be proud of. He achieved that, well, until the guilt took over.

Dean held his brother's gaze and spit back, "So that's why your phones were turned off. You know, I thought I was leaving messages in the wind. I was afraid you were _dead_." He scratched the back of his head in thought for a moment. "What about the other hunters that needed you?"

Sam instantly replied, not missing a beat, "They had Garth. He's still out there running around. They didn't need me."

His brother scoffed and laughed a bit, "So what? You let some of them go alone and die? What a hunter you are."

"I know. I know. I made a bad decision, but I wanted to enjoy life. I was alone. I didn't know what to do. I-"

Dean cut Sam off and returned to glaring at him, "You didn't want to start looking for me?"

"It's not like it's been an easy search! I've asked around heaven _and_ hell. You don't know how hard it was to find someone to agree to help search those places. Once I found out where you were, I've been looking for a way in," Sam explained himself, holding his hands out in an _I tried_ fashion.

Dean only focused on the negative. His brother left him there to rot for nine months without a care in the world. Dean took a step back and grimaced. "It's not like Purgatory was dandy! Flowers, meadows, sunshine. No. It was worse than Hell, Sammy, and you know how much that took a toll on me."

"But you're still here. You made it!" Sam exclaimed, trying to shed light onto the situation.

"No thanks to you," Dean shot back. His face blanked, showing no emotion at all. Sam's jaw tightened at his words and remained silent. Dean's lip twitched and he contained his rising anger. "What about Kevin?"

Sam defended himself before his brother could make any more horrible assumptions. "Kevin is fine. He's been helping me."

"At least you did that much." Dean's icy glare turned to Kristen as he spoke to her, "Sam doesn't need you anymore. You're free to go do whatever you were doing before."

 _Oh, so now it's my turn to get yelled at._ Kristen responded quickly, "That's the thing. I don't remember what I was doing before. I was buried alive and I don't even know why."

Dean turned to Sam and waved his hand at Kristen. "No memory. Great. Do you even trust her to keep you alive? Does she know how to fight?"

Kristen scoffed at his words. _Never judge a book by its cover, Winchester._ "I am a hunter. I know how to hold my own."

"Claire did just fine around demons," Sam backed her up and sent a small, reassuring smile her way. It was clear he trusted her. She proved that much.

His brother didn't see the point in his assurance. Just because she could fight didn't mean she could be trusted. "Then she'll be fine on her own."

Kristen smiled back at Sam; she turned to Dean and added, "What if the person who tried to kill me is still out there? I don't know what I'm walking into. I'm staying here."

"She's right, Dean. She needs to stay low for a while and I said I would help her get through this."

"Can we trust her?" Dean questioned as he crossed his arms. Trust wasn't easy to come by these days, especially in hunters. Some were crazy, others driven to hunt alone. Only a handful of hunters were really reliable and trustworthy.

Kristen stifled a laugh. "You think I'm going to kill you? Winchesters? I'm not signing my own death certificate right now." Sam and Dean looked at her weirdly, then looked at each other in confusion. She continued, "I see why you wouldn't trust me, but seriously, I'm an extra helping hand. I've got nowhere to be and I'm an experienced hunter."

Sam stood his ground and told his brother straight up, "I'm not letting her go out there to be killed. I don't want another friend to die. Almost all our friends are dead, Dean."

Dean held Sam's stare for a bit and thought it over. He definitely wasn't happy with the decision, but he appeared too exhausted to fight any more. He grabbed the holy water from the ground and threw some onto Kristen. She closed her eyes and flinched. After he sprayed another liquid, she wiped the area around her eyes. She understood his skepticism, but the security measures excelled intensely when he pulled out the knife.

Sam held his brother back before he went in with the silver knife. When Dean looked at him confusedly, Sam pointed at the knife. "Dude."

Dean stepped back so Sam couldn't touch him. He shrugged slightly and urged, "I'm just trying to make sure."

"I'll do it if it earns his trust." Kristen held her hand out for the knife until Dean handed it to her. She sliced her upper arm a bit and let the blood drip. She set the knife down and glanced between the two men. "See? I'm clean."

Dean nodded and put the bottles down. "Fine."

Kristen cringed and wiped the unknown liquid off of her face. Some of it got in her nose and it began to irritate her. There was no smell, which she thought was odd. "What is this stuff, anyway?"

Dean answered first, "Borax. It takes down Leviathans."

Kristen went to the kitchen area to find a cloth to wrap around her arm. She searched through one of the cabinets and questioned, "Leviathans?"

Sam sat down in a wooden chair and leaned back. He didn't know how to explain, so he sighed and simply said, "Long story." He glanced over at Dean, who wouldn't sit down. He idly stood by the table, watching Kristen carefully. Distrust was prominent in his eyes and he forced himself to turn away. He grimaced at the sting of the cuts on his face and the ache of the bruise that covered one eye, but he trudged through the pain.

"Got it." She wrapped a piece of cloth around her arm and tightened it to slow the bleeding process down. Getting on Dean's good side was going to be difficult. She understood why. Purgatory really must've taken him down a road he didn't want to venture. She couldn't blame him. "So what are we going to do now that your brother has successfully escaped the inescapable Purgatory?"

Dean peered over at Sam and tilted his head to the side in thought. "I was thinking maybe we could go to a motel. Find a hunt or two and take out some baddies. What do ya say, Sammy?" He set his hand down on top of the back of the chair and tightened his grip. He forced himself to stay up and about. Sitting down would only make his unsettling eagerness to get out worse. He needed to do something.

"You just got out of Purgatory and now you want to go on a hunt? Are you serious right now?" Sam furrowed his eyebrows and looked at his brother as if he was crazy. Dean had just said it took a toll on him, yet he was ready to get back out there and hunt. That part didn't make sense to Sam.

Dean shrugged a bit and grabbed the keys. He rubbed the keys in his hand to feel their texture, the lightness, and get used to the feeling of owning a car again. Walking seemed to go on for an eternity in that Hell hole. "We could go out driving. I haven't seen Baby in months. I need to get out and feel the roar of her engine. The leather seats. The air in my face…"

Sam cut him off with a nod and agreed, "We can go if you really want to. You've had a rough year. I was just trying to give you time to adjust and relax."

"We can do that at the motel while searching the paper. Come on," Dean declared and grabbed his backpack full of stuff. He walked out the door and ran his hand along Baby. He opened the driver's side, got in, and turned on the car. The engine roared to life and left a soothing vibration in the car. Dean grinned slightly and nodded towards the other two to get in.

He was so eager to get out into the world again. Whether that was good or bad hung in Sam and Kristen's minds, but they never dared to say anything out loud. All they could do was support Dean to help him get through the adjustment and whatever horrible memories he would relive.


	8. Chapter 7

_AN: This writer's block almost killed me. I had to get something written. Hope this chapter is okay. I would really appreciate feedback on the story as a whole! Thank you. :)_

Alia's stomach rumbled loudly as she continued her journey on foot. Her muscles ached and begged for rest, but she denied and kept going. Sunlight washed over her pale skin, accompanied by a warm breeze that drifted through her dirty brown hair. Her gunmetal blue eyes cautiously shifted from one side of the odd strip of road to the other. Nothing was in sight. No houses, no cars, no people, just fading yellow grass for as long as the eye could see. Heat waves curved the road up ahead and messed with her eyesight. Sometimes she thought she could see water on the ground, but as she came closer, it was nothing but dry asphalt.

It had been eight days since she left Purgatory and decided to find this Dean character from earlier. She seemed to wander endlessly down these roads on the countryside. Everything here was so new. No one rode horses to travel or pulled carts with them. They traveled in these metal cases with roaring noises. Some houses in remote areas seemed a little bit different from when she had last been to Earth, but not much. Even some small towns that she had passed through seemed similar. That made her feel a bit more comfortable.

Her stomach rumbled again and she groaned. Some woman had taken pity on her a few days before and gave her some bread and water. Alia had been grateful, but just the mere thought of going back to satisfying basic human needs seemed tedious. Day in and day out of eating, sleeping, bathing, and more took up too much time. Too many resources. Too much money. Alia nearly choked on her own saliva when she saw prices for gas. Being in Purgatory had been simple. No human needs, no complications, just pure life or death. Short and simple.

She moved her tongue around her mouth and grimaced. Her tongue swirled around sticky globs and her whole mouth felt full of cotton balls. Sweat never formed on her skin and she huffed from exhaustion. Sweating. Another thing that she hated the most. In Purgatory, it's what reminded her that she was still alive. Still there in reality. But now, it was gone. She almost craved to have it back. Something, anything that might cool her off against the warm breeze.

Alia's legs wobbled and she tried to keep herself up. Dehydration was catching up to her, while her stomach screamed for food. Her muscles ached for sleep. All she could do was try to keep going, but after stumbling for a few feet, she gave up. Alia fell onto the fading grass on the side of the road and stared up at the sky.

For a moment, the world seemed to stand still. Her head ached and the environment fell silent. Her blue eyes glanced around to make sure she wasn't back in Purgatory and this wasn't all some dream she concocted. Alia ran her hand over her dry, cracking skin and winced. Everything hurt. Everything. Even her soul ached from the exhaustion, from the terror she's endured, and from the endless loop of living without needs for so long.

Every waking moment in Purgatory was etched in her mind. It would never leave her. Haunt her in her dreams, give her flashbacks, she didn't care. Not now, at least. Now that she was out, none of that mattered. She was free. _Free…_ She just didn't know how to survive in this new world.

Another roaring engine from afar rang in her ears. Alia stayed on the ground. _No point of moving when they're just going to drive passed…_ She thought bitterly. She closed her eyes and focused on her breathing. If she could hone in on that, she could find the will to get back up and continue on her journey.

The roaring engine came closer at a fast speed. Loud music erupted from the speakers and bounced straight out of the window. Hearing music sounded like a little piece of heaven to Alia. Even if the music was unlike anything she had heard of, it was most definitely better than silence. Then, the engine stopped. The music cut out abruptly and a car door slammed shut.

 _Has someone actually stopped to help me? Is someone kind enough to save me from this madness of needs?_

"Alia?" A deep voice called out.

Alia's eyes shot open at the familiar voice and she used almost all of her remaining energy to sit up. Her eyes locked on the same man she had met earlier. "Dean?"

He had the same grass green eyes, full of determination and cautious of his surroundings. This time, they lit up at seeing a familiar face. He cracked a small smile, revealing some of his white teeth. He looked refreshed and clean shaven. No stray scratches from a knife covered his face. Overall, he looked good. He held his hand out to her, "Come on. I'll help you."

As much as she hated being in the debt of someone, she needed this. Alia took his hand and stood up using his help. He walked her over to the car and opened the door, allowing her to get inside. She curiously peered around, staring at everything with fresh eyes. A thin wheel connected to the big board in front of her. The tan leather seats felt smooth against her fingertips. She accidentally left a dirt mark where her fingers strayed, so she set her hands on her lap to keep from getting anything else dirty.

Dean got into the driver's seat and started the car. Music blasted out of the speakers once more and Alia cupped her hands over her ears. Dean quickly turned it down; he apologized softly and reached to the backseat for something. He came back with a full bottle of water. He handed it to Alia. "Now I actually have to thank my brother for leaving his stuff in my car." Alia eagerly took the bottle and chugged it. Dean watched her with his eyebrows scrunched up in worry. "Maybe you should take a breather."

Alia leaned her head against the seat after giving him the empty plastic bottle. Her mouth was fully washed of the cotton ball feeling and she actually felt good. Her stomach growled shortly after and she winced. "You wouldn't happen to have any bread, would you?" Alia questioned quietly.

Dean chuckled a bit, "I could give you something better. A…" He checked the fast food back on the ground and took out something in a wrapper, "A burger."

"Burger?" Alia scrunched her eyebrows together in confusion. Learning about new things was going to be so much fun, but adjusting to everything was the hassle of it all.

Dean unwrapped the burger and showed it to her. He licked his lips as he admired it. "Juicy perfection. A slab of meat, condiments, and a bun. It's the only thing I have right now to offer."

Alia reached for it and took the burger in her hand. She examined it, turning it around every so often to see what it all contained. It smelled…different. Delicious could be another term. Then again, she would eat anything at this point. Dean watched and waited for her reaction. Alia took her first bite and closed her eyes. She groaned in delight and took another bite. The delicious mixtures of meat, ketchup, pickles, and lettuce danced across her taste buds. She took another bite before she could swallow the last two and filled her cheeks like a chipmunk. She munched happily until the burger was gone.

"You didn't like that _at all_ ," Dean sarcastically commented and started driving.

Alia didn't answer and wiped her hands on her filthy dress. Wind blew against her skin at a faster rate as the car picked up speed. Her heart beat rapidly at what was happening. Their surroundings zoomed by, causing her to go cross-eyed for a moment. She couldn't handle looking at anything while they were going so fast. Music drifted into her ears again and she softly smiled. They were a little bit more upbeat than she remembered, and definitely used more instruments, but it sounded delightful.

Dean sat there for a moment, processing everything as Alia looked around. He was shocked, to say the least. He didn't think she'd get out of that hell hole without their help. One question popped into his mind and he said it out loud, "How did you get out?"

Alia hesitated. It's not like she could lie and say something else. In three hundred years, she hadn't found an exit. By following them, she did. She licked her lips and replied softly, "The same way you did. You weren't hard to follow."

"Did you see an angel?" Dean quickly asked. He closed his eyes for a split second in sadness. His jaw clenched and his green eyes stayed locked on the road ahead of them. He rephrased his question, "The man who got left behind. Did he make it back with you?"

"Not with me." She couldn't admit to him what his friend said. _He wanted to stay there all along… He thought he belonged there. Only someone stupid would stay in a horrid place like that._ Alia thought to herself. She bit her lip, hoping he wouldn't press anymore. She didn't want to see him get hurt.

Dean remained quiet for a few minutes, mulling over the news. If Cas didn't make it out, there had to be a way to get him out. His mind filled with thoughts of his rescue, but the big question was how. How would they get him out? At that point, would he even still be alive? His grip tightened on the steering wheel. In order to distract himself, he changed the subject, "I'm hunting some vampires a few towns over. After we get you cleaned up, do you want to join me?"

"What about your brother? Where is he?"

Dean bit the inside of his cheek. "He decided to stay and _do some research on a lead he's on_. His new lady friend has to recover from her injury, so that's probably why he stayed." He didn't want to think about that. His new friend. What happened to both of them against the world? Not like Sam hasn't disappointed him already.

Alia nodded, but then shook her head. "I need to rest. Maybe another time."

"I'll get a hotel and you can rest for the night. I've been driving long enough already." Leaving her alone was _not_ an option. She could get lost, easily taken advantage of, or something worse. It's not like she couldn't handle herself. Dean knew she could. He just didn't want anything happening to her in a place where she knows nothing.

"Okay. I shall accompany you on your hunt tomorrow."


End file.
